DERGHOLM STAYS PUT
Dergholm Fire Brigade votes to stay in Casterton group

3 March 2010

IAN LEWIS

MEMBERS of the Dergholm Fire Brigade voted overwhelmingly to stay in the Casterton fire group at a special meeting in the Dergholm Hall on Wednesday night.

The meeting voted 16-5 to remain with the Casterton group after a lively discussion that heard many members talk down a move to either the Apsley or Edenhope groups in favour of retaining the status quo.

The decision was made despite the Dergholm brigade being forced to join region 17 under the State Government's restructure of CFA boundaries.

Dergholm will be administered by region 17 based in Horsham, some 147km away rather than region four headquarters in Casterton only 35km away.

Pro-Casterton supporters said the Dergholm brigade did not stand to gain much by moving to a smaller group such as Apsley that had just four brigades under its wing or Edenhope that had five. But, they argued, such a move would severely weaken the Casterton group, which boasted 13 brigades under its control

Dergholm brigade members were told at a meeting in Casterton last week, the Casterton group wanted to retain Dergholm in its strike force and would give it as much support as possible.

Long-time CFA volunteer Murray Davis said the organisation recognised Dergholm was in a difficult position having some sections of the district in the Glenelg Shire (region four) and some in West Wimmera (region 17).

But, he said, that was nothing like the nightmare the Westmere brigade faced by having parts of its area in five different shires – Ararat, Pyrenees, Moyne, Corangamite and Southern Grampians. The Westmere brigade has vowed to fight the move to have it moved into a different region.

The meeting heard Horsham was the centre of an extremely large region and the Dergholm brigade could find itself being sent to isolated areas such as the Little Desert.

But, the Casterton group wanted Dergholm to stay with it to protect its northern border as well as provide support in other areas of the region.

The meeting was told Casterton could lose a number of units if they elected to move to the Apsley or Edenhope groups and that could weaken its effectiveness.

Brigade captain Ian Spratling said that a move away from Casterton could affect funding and he predicted the brigade could be faced with twice the paperwork that would flow to and from Horsham and Casterton.

“We just have to get on with it and go out and and fight fires and come home safely, no matter is decided,” he said.

“I don't know what group region 17 would put us in if we elect to leave Casterton, it could be either Apsley or Edenhope, no-one knows at this stage.”

Other members feared for smaller brigades such as Dorodong, Cheytwynd and Poolaijelo if Dergholm left the Casterton group.

“Dorodong needs our support and we have always given it to them in the past,” one speaker said.

“If we go to Edenhope, the group might say why support a brigade just 14km away when we have brigades 80km apart.”

Other members said fires in the northern part of the state were entirely different to the fires in the Western District. Region 17 doesn't have pine or blue gum plantations and their fires require an entirely different culture.

Mr Davis moved that the Dergholm brigade stay in the Casterton group and after a secret ballot, his motion succeeded 16-4.

In all, 43 brigades have to make similar decisions across the state by March 8.

So far neither the Poolaijelo, Dorodong nor Chetwynd fire brigades have met to decide whether or not to stay with the Casterton group.

Ken Frost from Poolaijelo said his preference would be to stay with Casterton but it was up to the brigade to make the decision and no meeting date had yet been set.

Former captain of the Dorodong brigade Ross Schriever said the brigade’s decision could be decided by Poolaijelo, which is on the edge of the region. If the Poolaijelo brigade chose to move to the Edenhope group then the Dorodong brigade would be forced to move with them.

Chetwynd brigade captain Warren McDonnell said the Chetwynd brigade would meet on March 5 to make its decision.